Partnerships live or die on trust. And sometimes, the cracks aren’t obvious: no missed deadlines or glaring mistakes. Just a quiet hesitation that seeps into every decision.
A recent client engagement revealed this. Despite no history of poor performance, they carried an underlying hesitation toward their managed service provider (MSP). It wasn’t enough to end the relationship. But the unease led to slow approvals and lots of second-guessing.
Partnerships with an MSP must be entered with some level of trust. Maintaining that trust isn’t just a one-time thing either. It’s ongoing. Here are some ways to build and maintain it:
Distrust doesn’t always grow out of mistakes. Often, it’s rooted in perception rather than performance. Misaligned expectations, an unfamiliarity with processes, or a lack of clarity in communication can all trigger doubt. Shifting personnel, mismatched communication styles, or the absence of transparency can compound that unease. Small discomforts can compound over time and end up creating more serious governance challenges. Trust is as much about perception as it is about outcomes.
Trust is far easier to build than to repair. Strong MSP partnerships must be anchored in clarity from the start. To prevent misalignment, clearly define responsibilities, escalation paths, and decision rights upfront. Equally important is onboarding: when MSPs understand the client’s culture, process norms, and strategic goals, they can operate with sensitivity rather than defaulting to generic solutions. Set up a transparent communication cadence, including regular check-ins, progress reporting, and escalation paths for issue resolution. This cadence will further normalize openness and reinforce that the partnership is built on collaboration, not control.
Governance itself can either reinforce trust or break it. A co-created governance framework signals partnership and gives both sides confidence in the mechanisms for escalation, decision-making, and review. Shared visibility through dashboards, playbooks, or documented workflows prevents gaps in understanding and ensures openness. Joint reviews and retrospectives then provide the opportunity to step back, reflect on what’s working, and address emerging issues before they undermine the relationship. By embedding transparency into governance, trust becomes part of the operating model.
Even well-built trust requires maintenance. Day-to-day interactions have a major impact here. Responsive communication is key to maintain the partnership. Remember to stay reliable by meeting SLAs and proactively alerting the organization to risks, even minor ones. Sustaining trust also requires MSPs to adapt when there’s friction. Acknowledge when trust falters and revisit agreements when needed to maintain the commitment. Trust is cumulative, built in the small moments that define ongoing interaction.
Despite our best efforts, even strong partnerships encounter periods of distrust. The difference lies in how quickly issues are recognized and addressed. Early indicators like missed meetings, reduced engagement, or unspoken frustrations should be taken seriously. Address them directly yet tactfully. Open conversations can reset expectations and uncover root causes. From there, small wins become powerful. Deliver quick, visible wins to rebuild confidence and show reliability in tangible ways. In some cases, overcoming a breach of trust can leave the partnership stronger than before.
Trust is more than a soft concept. It’s an operational asset. Without it, governance falters, performance is questioned, and value erodes. With it, decision-making accelerates, collaboration deepens, and the relationship matures into something greater than a contract.
Think of trust as something that requires 5 C’s: clarity, communication, collaboration, consistency, and the courage to course correct. When those elements are present, MSP partnerships can thrive on technical competence and on the deliberate cultivation of trust as their foundation.
At Trenegy, we help organizations develop an IT strategy and find the right technology partners to reach strategies business goals. To chat more, email us at info@trenegy.com.
Trenegy is a non-traditional consulting firm based in Houston, Texas.